True Occupation

From Day 1 I was disenchanted with what seemed the entitlement mentality, occupation mentality, aimless mentality, of the occupiers. They seemed to want without having anything to offer, not even ideas.

Today I read about them occupying a foreclosed house in NE Portland. One that had boarded up windows, owned by the bank. Empty. In a city with homeless people that live on the street.

The occupiers have taken up residence. The police are reacting and getting them out of there. I suppose they are tasked with upholding property rights - even the property rights of an absent landlord that has neglected the property and allowed it to be a blight on the neighborhood.

Well finally this is a cause I can stand with them on. Think about it as an equation: homeless people needing shelter, especially with the onset of winter - cold rainy never drying out sleeting mossy winter in Portland. Houses, left for no one. Still serviceable shelters.

I don't know how these two things will find each other, and I don't know if the occupiers just want to glean off these houses, as they gleaned off the public parks. If that is their goal (and they have nice warm homes to go to), then nothing is accomplished. But if they can pave the way for all the fring-ers who co-mingled with them and intruded on their peaceful protest in the park, then maybe something good can come about. Occupy the houses.

Not Your Mother's Park Blocks

Back in the day, when I was a technical dweeb, there was Powell's Technical Bookstore. There was the resident cat "Fup", who had his own (her own?) business cards. A spiral staircase that went... up, someplace.

The dusty stacks, the only place in Portland to find technical books. It is gone from the Park Blocks, moved over towards "regular" Powell's. Have not been there, yet.

But the North Park blocks, that used to seem somewhat seedy. Then the Sister City gift from China arrived, for kids to check out in the park. The play structure. Alas, Daisy Kingdom moved out. So too the sheet music store.

Now, there are trendy urban spaces along the west side of the blocks. Large barely furniture-populated urban spaces. Very well lit. No people, but warnings of security cameras.

But, true to history, there is still something seedy about these blocks. Still homeless people in the park. So look like you know where you're going. Still people who are no longer institutionalized talking and swearing and making strange gestures. Ignore them.

I wonder what will move into the old Powell's Tech store. Alas, the few software types I run into of late have turned to (chose one): {telecommuting, home remodeling, teaching high school math}. Yes, there really was a time when you could drive into a new parking lot and find yourself a new job. There really was a time when you could count on those bonuses to upgrade your standard of living.

A new couch this year! A new TV next year! A new car! Hey, now I realize what is wrong with the economy. Do I get bonuses? No, which severely limits my ability to contribute to the economy.

This morning I recommended performance bonuses if technical projects hit their projected budget. Hmm, maybe this can help the economy after all.